CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
The world mourns the loss of one of the greatest footballers in FIFA history today, after it was confirmed that Diego Maradona has died after suffering a cardiac arrest in his home country of Argentina.
While he’s most famous for championing the iconic white and sky blue stripes of Argentina, Maradona is also worshipped on the streets of Naples after he spent seven years playing for the Italian Serie A heavyweights.
It’s understood 60-year-old Maradona the 1986 World Cup winner was resting up in his home country while recovering from brain surgery at the time of his passing.
In the wake of his passing, Napoli have now decided to officially rename their stadium after him to ‘Stadio Diego Armando Maradona’.
This announcement joins the thousands of tributes from fans, experts, current and former players that have begun to flood in.
Back in The Betoota Flight Path District, a bunch of the local lads have also joined in on celebrating the legacy of the hard-living sports icon they called “El Pibe de Oro” (“The Golden Kid”).
One colourful local concreter and diehard soccer fan, Rylie Kalligeros has demanded his former team mates from Betoota Hellenic join him for a few schooners this afternoon to pay tribute.
Sitting around a table at the only pub in town known for playing World Cup matches at 3am, The Lippy Pom Hotel, Rylie and his mates are sharing stories about the first time they saw Maradona on YouTube.
“Poor bugger. Gone too soon” says Rylie’s right-hand-man and fellow concreter, Nic Petrohilos – one of the three blokes named Nic currently gathering at the Pom today.
“You know what we should do? Ya know in tribute…”
He doesn’t even need to finish his sentence. The boys know what he’s getting at.
Within minutes all eight of them were firing off messages to numbers that aren’t saved in their phone.
“We are on!” eventually shouts Theo, one of the dodgier mates in the group.
Within an hour, the boys have secured a mid summer night’s bag.
As the heavily tinted WRX idles behind the pub, Rylie begins to tear up.
“This is exactly what he would have wanted. Vale Mardona”
“Oi have you boys got cash?”
